Ariana had always been patient and forgiving, so she just shook her head and let the whinde dinner disaster go without another word.
On the drive home, they got stuck in a massive DUI checkpoint that had traffic crawling. A cop approached their window with a breathalyzer, lin expressim all Inusiness.
“Evening, folls. Need you to roll down the window for a quick mbriety test
Jayden immediately complied. leaning forward to blow into the device. Clean residi, as expected. He shifted back in his seat, anmming the officer would want to test Arianna ton
But the cop just moved on to the next car without a second gia
“Guess you still look like you’re sixteen,” Jayden said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood after thought I was giving some high schooler a ride boune.”
restaurant nightmare. “Poor guy probably
That actually got a gemine smut of Ariana, and he felt some of the terrion finally leave his shoulders.
The next morning, Jayden woke up to his phone buzzing
with tests from his mom
Mom Harris said you two grabbed dinner last night! So nice that yo
you’re reconnecting with old friends.
Mom: Charles is still in Burlington for that psychology conference Perfect timing for you to pop in and see hi
Mom: I got your latest screening results from Mount Sinai yesterday everything looks normal, but I feel so much better if Charles took a look. You know how I worry about these things.
Ever since has mom’s breakdown two years ago, she’d become completely obsessed with monitoring Jayden’s mental health. She insisted on regular psychiatric evaluations, therapy check ins, the whole nine yards Probably because the blamed herself for not getting help sooner and was terrified he’d end up like she had.
Jayden never argued about it because these appointments gave her peace of mind, and honestly, after everything they’d been through as a family little extra mental health maintenance wasn’t the worst idea.
Arianna was
was still asleep when he got dressed, so he left a note on the kitchen counter.
A–Running a quick errand. Back in a couple hours. Help yourself to anything in the fridge. –]
Uncle Charles–Dr. Charles Morrison–had been his dad’s college roommate and best man at his parents‘ wedding. He’d built a successful psychiatric practice and hai basically been family for as long as Jayden could remember.
When Jayden arrived at the medical center, Uncle Charles was just wrapping up with a patient His warm smile was exactly the same as when Jayden was a kil
“There’s my boy,” he said, pulling Jayden into a quick hug “Your mother said you’d be stopping by. How are you holding up, kiddo?”
Jayden wanted to make this quick–ho didn’t like leaving Arianna alone for 100 long, especially after the weirdness with Harris last night,
“Actually, really good,” Jayden said, and was surprised to realize he meant it. “Better than I’ve been in years, if I’m being honest.”
Uncle Charles gestured for him to sit down, his pighiatrist brain probably already cataloging jayden’s mood and body language.
“That’s wonderful to hear. What’s changed?”
Jayden felt his cheeks go warm like he was still a teenager asking permission to date. “Taxing someone. Someone really importo me.”
went up with interest. “Anyone I know?”
“Oh?” Thule Charles’s eyebrows went up
“Arianna Carter.” The name felt like a confession. “I know how that sounds, given everything that happened, but→→
“When did this start?” Uncle Charles’s tone was carefully neutral, but Jayden could see the concern creeping into his expression
“A few days ago. Everyone told me she died ten years ago, right after graduation. I believed it for a decade. But she’s alive, Charles. She’s here, and
Allmeet in Love with You Before That Cruel Summer Took Everything
We’re together and I’ve never been happier..
The silence that followed was heavy. Uncle Charles was studying him with that clinical intensity thai made jayden Tratt anderoscope.
“If you’re happy, then I’m glad for you,” he said finally, but something in his voire made jayden’s stomach clench “Though I have to say yo exhausted. When’s the last time you got a full night’s sleep?”
Te been sleeping fine Jayden Hed. The truth was he’d barely dept since finding Arianne too afraid shed disappear if he closed
thecle Charles scribbled something on a prescription paid. “Just some supplements to help with stress and deep. You’ve been through a lot lately,”
home. There were other patients waiting, and he was anotimas to get back to
Jayden pocketed the prescription without looking at it, eager to
Arianna
“Thanks, Charles. Give my love to Sarah.”
Π
him like a puncit the
That evening, Jayden found Ariama curled up on bas couch, fast asleep with a book splayed open on her chest. The tight hit hi heart–she looked so peaceful, so perfectly at home in his space, like she belonged there.
Like she’d always belonged there.
He went to the kitchen to take whatever Uncle Charles had prescribed. The pills were small and white–probably just vitamins or mild anti antlery meds. He swallowed them dry and hid the bottle behind the cereal boxes, not wanting Arianna to worry about his family’s complicated relationship with mental health.
When he came back to the living room, she was just stirring awake, blinking up at him with sleepy, unfocused eyes.
“Hey, you” she said softly, her voice still thick with sleep. “How was your thing?”
“Quick and boring.” he said, settling carefully on the opposite end of the couch, Every instinct was screaming at him to reach for her, to pull her close. but he forced himself to keep his distance, She’d made it clear yesterday that she needed space, needed time to get comfortable with physical contact again
He could be patient. He could wait as long as she needed.
But then Arianna surprised the hell out of him
She reached for his hand and tagged gently, pulling him toward her until there was no space left between them.
And then, without a word, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.
